Photo and Video Editing for Seniors (Studio Visual Steps) [Paperback]

I am just learning about videography and need a book to help me get started reliably. I was pleased to see a description (p. 124) of two DVD standards -- "minus" and "plus," or dvd-r and dvd-rw, and dvd+r and dvd+rw. This gives me a start on understanding the topic. Nevertheless it does not help me explain why a test movie I burned to DVD (using another program) failed to play in a new HD TV. I had used DVD-R, which this book says "can be played on any DVD or Blu-ray player." It seems to me that missing is a discussion of the format of the output when rendering the movie. Should the format be MPEG-2? The terms AVCHD and MPEG-2 are not in the index. Well, OK, maybe those terms are too complicated for seniors. That is Not My Opinion!

What about captions? Please tell me about captions. I know what a figure caption is. What are captions when used in videos? How do I add them to a movie? Section 12.6 ("Captions," on page 270) says "You cannot use a video or a photo as a background title. But you can insert a caption into a video or a photo:" Now what in heaven's name does the first sentence mean? I thought titles were made up of text, not video or still images. And the second sentence says I can insert a caption into a video or a photo. I still don't know what a caption is in the world of video. Please define terms on first use! BTW, there is no glossary in this book. Maybe the step-by-step instructions indicate what a caption is. First instruction: "Click the first video." I guess I'm in a sample project. Last instruction: "Stop playback right after the title video has been displayed." Title? I thought we were doing captions! What's a caption, and how is it difference from a title? I'm still puzzled. I have a guess, but I'd like to be told.

In the next section (12.7 "Change the Caption's Timing") it says "Click Holland" -- part of the sample screenshot -- then a "tip" says "Watch the text tag." I guess that the "Holland" that we were supposed to click is a "text tag." I think this book doesn't want to use too many words. Words that tell things and make connections clear and explicit.

Hey, I'm a senior, and I have a hard time figuring things out. But this book seems in three specific topics to leave out essential information. In these topics it does not make clear connections and does not define essential terms on first use.

Just turning to a random page (p. 183), this book mentions a "special video light" that you can attach to a "socket on the camera." Does this mean a hot shoe?

This book is too simple. It's been dumbed down, and it's loosely written. I'd do much better with a "tight" exposition that not only uses the right terms for things but explains what they mean on first use. Or maybe in a single glossary at the back of the book where every defined word can be found in one single (and simple!) alphabetical look-up.

I always enjoy using the Studio Visual Steps Books
They are easy to follow step by step, and have large print, with accompanying support website and practice
I am sometimes called on to teach and I can find the help I need at this website

I recommend these books to everyone who is new to Computers

I was pleased with this easy to understand guide to using the computer to edit photos and video. They put the explanation in simple-to-understand words.